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Portrait image of Ian Rankin Ian Rankin and Maj Sjöwall
Photo: Ola Erikson / Forflex

Sample of authors

Rankin, Ian

The Scottish crime writer Ian James Rankin was born in the coal mining town of Cardenden, Fife, where his father owned a grocery store. His mother worked in a school canteen. There were few books at home, and Rankin began to visit his local library as a child and began to write short stories as a teenager. He attended Denend Primary School in Cardendan and later Auchterderran Junior High at...

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Literary figures

Fergus O’Breen

Gender: Male

Wild, red-haired Irishman who calls himself ‘The O’Breen’ and is a private detective in Los Angeles. He has no memory of his mother, his father is an alcoholic, but their son does OK in life, we are assured by his creator Anthony Boucher (pseudonym for William Anthony Parker ‘Tony’ White). Fergus O’Breen has a strong-willed sister, is well-read and is allergic to cats, as well as having good conta...

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